Archives for November 5, 2018

‘In their fourth loss in a row and sixth lopsided defeat of the season, the Bills did manage to get their first touchdown in three games. They actually generated more yards than the Bears (264 to 190), who were largely stifled by Buffalo’s defense. But too many blunders and too much sloppiness and ineptitude made the defenders’ effort meaningless.’

‘“I don’t feel snakebit,” Peterman said. “I never feel like I’m a victim or anything like that, you know? It’s football. It’s life. Things don’t always bounce your way. … You just have to be able to take it how it comes, learn from it and keep fighting forward, and I think we showed a lot of fight out there today, and that’s what I’m proud of, really for our whole offense.”’

‘Miller is on injured reserve as he continues to recover from a gruesome knee injury that nearly cost him his left leg. Since being carted off the field in New Orleans in October 2017 with a dislocated knee and torn artery, he’s had nine surgeries, the best medical care money can buy, and support from his family, friends … and from a kindred spirit in Western New York whom he finally met Sunday.’

‘The final numbers mask how awful this was. The team gained 97 yards on 28 carries, but 46 of those yards came from quarterback Nathan Peterman, including a 24-yard scramble on the final play of the first half – when he elected to run instead of throwing a Hail Mary to the end zone. LeSean McCoy’s long run on 10 carries was just 4 yards. Backup Chris Ivory piled up some garbage-time yardage, but then suffered a shoulder injury near the goal line in the fourth quarter. Third running back Marcus Murphy got just one carry. Rushing attempts by receivers Zay Jones and Terrelle Pryor went nowhere. Simply put, the running game is lost right now.’

‘There are so many words that can be used to describe the state of the 2018 Buffalo Bills, but they are the words that, if I had said them in my mother’s presence when I was a kid, she would have cleansed my mouth with a bar of soap.’

‘They barely have the personnel to stay in games let alone win, and all of that is sequestered on the defensive side of the ball. It’s a gross roster imbalance that has led to seven losses in nine games for the simple fact that in a league now dominated by offense and scoring, even the best defenses get scored on. Thus, if you can’t score even a little, which Buffalo can’t, you have no chance to win.’

‘The Buffalo Bills have assembled such a poor cast of characters 1 through 11, it would not have mattered had Josh Allen, Derek Anderson, Matt Barkley — hell, Jim Kelly for that matter — was under center.’

‘This team has become an embarrassment. It is barely capable of competing, yet alone winning, and there are reasons up and down the roster, in the coaching staff, and in the front office, for this putrid product that we have been forced to watch. The Bills have now scored eight touchdowns in nine games, good for 96 points, barely 10 per game. No team in NFL history could win on a consistent basis with an average like that, not even the 1985 Bears or 2000 Ravens, teams with two of the best defenses in NFL history. The season can’t end fast enough.’

‘So much of this debacle reflects back on coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane who, despite last season’s miracle playoff berth, have assembled a roster that’s worse than the one Rex Ryan and Doug Whaley left when they were shown the door.’

‘”As football players, we pride ourselves on trying to go out there and win,” Benjamin said. “And once you get on a losing streak like this — I’ve never been on a losing streak like this. This is my first. So it’s definitely going to test my character. I’m going to have to be, definitely, strong, and one of the guys to come in and get the guys going and to push forward.”‘

‘”This is my fourth or fifth day in this offense, and I’m going to keep continuing to preach confidence because what else do you got?” Pryor said. “I’m a confident person. I think if we didn’t turn the ball over so many times we may have had a chance.”‘

‘”Maybe a little of both, honestly. A little bit of both. We’ve got to make sure we establish the line of scrimmage,” McDermott said. “That’s true in every game. We set that as one of our goals, establish the line of scrimmage and we didn’t get it done, in particular, early today.”‘

‘There are plenty of areas that need to be addressed in the offseason, but the offensive line may be at the top of the list. This unit has not opened any lanes in the run game and have struggled to protect the quarterback.’

‘The Bills’ No. 1 back had another frustrating outing on Sunday. LeSean McCoy received 10 carries and only picked up 10 yards on the ground. In eight games, McCoy has run for 267 yards and no touchdowns on 85 carries (3.1 YPC). At this point, the frustration is clearly boiling over for McCoy. The running back left the locker room on Sunday before the media was allowed into the room.’

‘Bradford could join the Bills following their Week 9 matchup against the Bears and provide a spark to the offense, but would winning a few meaningless games really help the Bills? No. In fact, it would probably do more harm than good. As it stands, Buffalo is currently in line to draft in the top five of the 2019 NFL Draft. Selecting a player that high would give Buffalo another cornerstone piece to build around long term.’

‘The Bills scored one touchdown on Sunday, while the Bears scored two on defense. That’s not a misprint — the Bills really were responsible for more points for the Bears than they were for themselves on Sunday.’

‘The 2018 Bills’ attempts in recent weeks to win in the traditional modern manner – of subbing out all 11 defenders on a change of possession for an entirely different eleven, who supposedly specialize in advancing the football and scoring at the pro level, and always using three downs for that purpose before kicking on fourth and final down – isn’t working. At all.’

‘The second-year quarterback’s second interception Sunday notched him 11 picks, a record for any player in the Super Bowl era with 100 or fewer career passing attempts. He later crossed the 100-attempt threshold, however, finishing the loss with 12 in 130 career attempts, good for more than one every nine attempts. In comparison, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who faces another all-time great on “Sunday Night Football” in Tom Brady, has thrown 11 interceptions in the last 993 pass attempts, per ESPN. Peterman’s interception rate eclipses Rodgers’ more than tenfold.’

‘”I’ve never been on a losing streak like this,” receiver Kelvin Benjamin said. “I’m frustrated now. I’m going to go home and be frustrated, but tomorrow once I come back in, try to brush it off my shoulders and get ready for the Jets.”‘

‘It has reached a point in which the Bills have become folly, a laughable collection of players on a sorry team in a terrible season. But they have become so pathetic that picking on them seems cruel, like picking on a child even though they’re adult men collecting massive paychecks.’

‘Since taking over in 2017, McDermott has seen his football teams beaten by 20 or more points eight times in just 26 games. Offensively, they ranked 29th in total yards in 2017 and through nine games this season, they ranked 31st going into Sunday’s 41-9 loss at home to the Bears.’

‘The most frustrating season of Shady’s career continued that way Sunday as the back ran for a total of only ten yards on only ten carries. There are a lot of reasons why McCoy has struggled this season, including offensive line play, opposing defenses keying on him, and a lack of passing game to get defenses to back off the line of scrimmage. But he’s also clearly pressing and trying to do too much at times. For the season McCoy now only has 267 yards o 85 carries, an average of 3.1 yards per carry. He also has not scored a single touchdown this year, ruching or receiving.’

‘In all of his starts, Nathan Peterman is now at the point where he’s thrown so many interceptions that it’s just the new normal for Bills fans, almost to the point of reluctant acceptance and outright apathy.’

‘He continued, “Right now, we’re just losing in a lot of ways and we haven’t been able to put it together. It’d be one thing if guys were unprofessional. Then you’d see more divisiveness It’s frustrating but I’m not going to turn my back on any of my teammates because they’re trying their best and trying to compete.”‘

‘After a scoreless first quarter, the Bears took command in all phases. After Jordan Howard punched in a score form the 1-yard line, the Bears defense forced a turnover on the following Bills possession. Bears linebacker Roquan Smith punched the ball out of Bills tight end Jason Croom’s arms before Eddis Jackson scooped up the fumble and ran 65 yards for a defensive touchdown.’

‘”We’re just not playing up to a good enough standard right now. We’re inconsistent as a team right now,” added Alexander. “Defense plays well and then the offense is not doing well– I mean, it’s just inconsistent. We just have to play better as a team, as a unit.”‘